13 November, 2009USW signs an agreement about establishing workers' cooperatives within the worker owned cooperative Mondragon, promoting sustainable jobs in a sustainable economy.
USA/ CANADA: On October 27 the IMF affiliated United Steelworkers (USW) and MONDRAGON Internacional, S.A. signed an agreement on collaboration in the U.S. and Canada aiming at adapting USW collective bargaining principles to the Mondragon cooperative model and worker ownership principles.
The agreement stipulates that, "the goals of this collaboration are to develop and grow manufacturing jobs in the United States and Canada, to improve the quality of life of workers and to create sustainable jobs in a sustainable economy that supports stronger communities and sustainable environmental practices."
The company advocates management model principles based on people working in cooperatives over joint projects and using participative organization for their implementation. In its turn each cooperative is based on the principles of instrumental and subordinated nature of capital, democratic organization, open admission, participation in management and wage solidarity.
Commenting on the nature of the agreement USW International President Leo W. Gerard said, "We see Mondragon's cooperative model with 'one worker, one vote' ownership as a means to re-empower workers and make business accountable to Main Street instead of Wall Street."
Full text of the agreement can be found on the USW website.
Modragon corporation employs approximately 100,000 cooperative members in more than 260 cooperative enterprises producing white line domestic appliances, office and home furniture and sport equipment in over forty countries.